Chapter 1 Pervert In The Park

Ilaria

Okay, what the ever-loving fuck was this dude’s problem? The way he was watching her was making my skin crawl. So, now, I’m thinking he’s some sick pervert who is watching the kids in the park. I keep watching to see if he will walk away, or someone will come and grab the little girl so I can actually breathe again. So far, nothing is happening in those two departments.

I had just randomly decided to sit at one of the outside tables today after I got my lunch. It was a beautiful day, and I had been in my studio for a few days, so hanging out in the sunshine sounded like a really great idea. Well, now I was wondering what I needed to do about this bullshit.

I had heard a beautiful, musical giggle of a little girl. You know, the kind that you hear, and you just can’t help but smile. So, I turned to look and saw her having fun playing on the playground equipment and interacting with some of the other kids. Not honestly sure what caused me to look around, other than just letting my eyes wander over the landscape of the park. Then I saw him, and his laser-focused gaze on her.

So, I kept watching, expecting her mom to pop up and say it was time to leave, or watch as her daughter played. Perhaps it would be her dad who popped up; I wasn’t really picky at this point. I was just willing someone to pop up who was with her and see what the fuck was going on. When nothing changed, I threw my trash away, secured my purse across my body, and started jogging to the park. I kept watching both of them the whole way over.

He had a magazine of some kind in his hands; he wasn’t actually reading it, well, at least I didn’t think he was. He would put it up for just a sec, then he’d drop it again and focus back on her. It was like he was attempting to use it as some kind of cover, which, once again, was setting off all of these warning bells.

I had reached the sidewalk that went around the outside of the park, and I was still looking for a parent who looked like they belonged to this beautiful little girl. I was watching to see what he was doing, and trying to move a little faster. I would just stand close, like maybe I was her mother, and he would get spooked and go the fuck away.

Then I noticed as he stood at attention, focused not on the girl but on something over my shoulder. I looked back, and my stomach dropped. It was just a dark, nondescript van. The kind you see in all of those crime documentary shows. So, now my heart was racing, and I knew this was bad.

So I started to jog to her faster, and about that time, he threw down the magazine he’d been pretending to read. I glanced back, and the side door was now standing open, just standing open, no one getting out or anything; it was just idling at the curb with the side door open. Fuck, this was so bad.

I took off running towards the girl, and I saw the man start running from where he’d been standing. As I reached her, I saw him about to barrel into us. So, I grabbed her up into my arms and wrapped myself around her as he took us down. I kept hold of her and just kept my body between his reaching, grabbing hands and her.

He started hitting me, then stood, trying to grab her around me, and then kicked me. That fucking hurt, but no way in fucking hell was I letting go so he could grab her. Then suddenly it all just stopped. The grabbing hands, the kicking, whatever the fuck ever he was yelling at me, it all just stopped.

I sat up with her in my arms, and she was crying, no doubt scared shitless. “Hey sweetie, I’m so sorry I scared you, but I didn’t want that bad man to get his hands on you. I’m going to remove my arms and let you go, okay.”

I unwrapped my arms from around her, and she looked up at me with these crystal blue eyes, surrounded by long black eyelashes. Her face was covered in tear tracks. Then she shocked the hell out of me by throwing her arms around me and burying her face against me as she cried.

“Ah, it’s okay, sweetheart. That bad man is gone; you’re safe now.” As I said that, I held her against me, rubbing her back gently, and rocking us slightly. Suddenly, we were surrounded by a group of very big, scary-looking men.

What the fuck, was this national pervert in the park day or some shit? I wrapped my arms more firmly around her and pulled her in tighter. Then one of the men said something to her, but it wasn’t English, so I had no clue. When I heard her answer him, and she didn’t sound particularly scared, that gave me hope this wasn’t another red flag moment.

“Ah, do you know these guys, honey?” She pulled back and gave me a dazzling smile, and I sucked in a breath.

She nodded, then hugged me tight, and I hugged her back. “Yes, he’s my papa.”

I felt myself deflate. Ah, finally a parent has shown themselves. That would have been good to have happened a few minutes ago. I was just about to offer a scathing rebuke of his attention to his daughter’s well-being when he squatted down.

I was then mesmerized by those same crystal-clear, deep blue eyes his daughter had. They were truly magnificent. As a painter, those eyes would definitely be making an appearance in a future work. I tried to smack myself mentally. He probably saw my jaw hit the ground, and I was hoping like fucking hell I didn’t have drool running down my chin.

Fuck, he was hot. He was naturally tan, with the same black hair as his daughter. He had one of those sexy businessmen, lightly tousled, haircuts. He had a well-groomed beard-and-goatee combo that was incredibly handsome with his sculpted cheeks. Again, my artist eyes were cataloging. He smirked ever so slightly; obviously, he knew the appeal he had to women, so I just rolled my eyes and sighed. He then smiled fully and not just a smirk, and my underwear melted. Yup, it was gone.

Then he had to ruin it, ”So, tell me why I should not kill you for putting your hands on my daughter.”

Well fuck, really?